Friday, March 03, 2006

Israeli Post Office Changes Hands

According to Arutz Sheva - Israel National News, the post office has reorganized as the Israel Postal Company, a state corporation that is required to charge customers the Value Added Tax (VAT).

The new firm said it would hike the price of stamps only nine to 12 percent instead of the charging the full 16.5 percent VAT. A regular domestic letter now costs 1.50 shekels (32 cents), about 13 percent more than the previous rate. A postcard will cost the same.

The current Postal Authority has 5,380 employees, including 2,000 postmen and a fleet of 1,100 vehicles.